The Sword Of The Spirit
Read Ephesian 6:17
WELCOME TO PASTOR DR. CARLOTTA'S COUNSELING CENTER.
Paul used the word "machaira" to describe our sword of the Spirit. By doing so, he declares that God has given the church a weapon that is just that brutal. God has given us a weapon that has the potential to rip our foe to shreds, to rip the enemies guts out when he runs upon it.
We are going to look at the most aggressive offensive weapon that God has given to the body of Christ, the sword of the spirit. There are five different kinds of swords Roman soldiers used in confrontations with their enemies. Holy Spirit carefully selected one of them to illustrate our sword of the spirit.
1. The first sword was called the gladius sword. It was an extremely heavy, board shouldered sword, with a very long blade. It was the most beautiful; however, because of its weight, it was also the most awkward to use. Furthermore, this sword was sharpened only one side; the other side was blunt and dull.
2. The second sword was shorter and narrower. It was approximately seventeen inches long and about two and one half inches in width. It was lighter than the swords they previously used. This newer version rapidly grew in popularity throughout the empire because it was so much easier to carry and swing.
3. The third sword used by the Roman army was even shorter than the second sword. In fact, it was so short that it looked more like a dagger than a sword. It was used to inflict a mortal wound into the heart of an enemy or an aggressor.
4. The fourth sword the Roman soldiers used, was a long and very slender sword. This sword was primarily used by the cavalry as opposed to the more durable swords that were carried by the infantry.
5. The fifth sword was the type of sword that Paul had in mind when he wrote about the spiritual armor in the sixth chapter of Ephesians. This particular word for sword used in this text is taken from the Greek word "machaira." This brutal weapon of murder was approximately nineteen inches long and was razor sharp on both sides of the blade. The very end of the sword turned upward causing the point of the blade to be extremely sharp and deadly.
Of all the swords available, this was the most dangerous sword of all. While the other swords were deadly, this one was a terror to the imagination. This sword was not only intended to kill but to completely rip an enemy's inside to shreds. It was a weapon of murder!
WHAT IS A TWO-EDGED SWORD?
Read Revelation 1:16: When the apostle John received his vision of Jesus on the Isle of Patmos, he said, "and He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword." The phrase two-edged is taken from the Greek word, "distomis." It is one of the oddest words in the entire New Testament. The word "di" meaning "two" and the word "sto-mos" is the Greek word for one's mouth. When these two words are compounded into one, they describe something that is two-mouthed. Read Revelation 2:12 and Hebrews 4:12.
The words two-edges is once again taken from the Greek word "distomos." Revelation 2:12 could be translated, "a sharp sword with two mouths." Hebrews 4:12 is an identical phrase. When God first spoke His word and inspired Biblical writers to record it, it was a one mouthed sword. It had only come out of one mouth at that time.
You might say that the word was like a "gladius" sword, sharp on one side and dull on the other. When you willfully took that word into your spirit and willfully began to mediate on it and give it a place of priority in your life, you took the first necessary step to give the word of God a second edge in your life!
When God's word begins to work inside of you, it cuts through the muck and mire of your mind and emotions, and goes straight to the heart of the matter. You could say that the word of God has eyes. Be Blessed!
If you haven't accepted Christ as your Savior simply say in an audible voice, in all sincerity from the depths of your heart, "Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me of my sins and accept me as Your child. I accept You as my personal Savior and I promise to follow the instructions of Your Word from this day on. If I fail because I am human, please help pick me up so I can try again! Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from all my sins. AMEN."
Go with God and be Blessed!
Dr Pastor Carlotta Boles
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